Centrifugal separator.



.Mf- R. SPELMAN. CENTRIFUGAL SEPABATOR. APPLICATION msn JULY 3o. 1915.

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Patented Jan. 16,1917.l

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M. R. SPELMAN.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILEDJULY 30.1915.

INVENTOI? Man? /Z @ne im an A 7TOHNY8 00 O0 0000008096 n O G.0069006006040v WITNESSES MARK R. SPELMAN, OF HYDE PARK,` NEW YORK.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. i6, 1917.

Application filed Jury 3o, 1915. serial No. 42,746.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MARK R. SPELMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hyde Park on Hudson, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Centrifugal Separator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates .to centrifugal separators especially designed for separating solid particles from liquid. l

The general objects of the present invention are to improve the construction and operation of centrifugal separators so as to be capable of a large output'by being continuously in operation and entirely7 automatic as to the supply of the fluid tobe sep-` arated and the removal of the solid particles from the basket.

A more specific object of the invention is the provisionof a centrifugal separator in which `the basket is suspended and rotated from a point above it and the liquid to be separated is supplied to the basket through a pipe disposed coaxially with the basket and rotatable therein so that discharging nozzles on the pipe can deliver the material against the inner wall of the basket, the basket and pipe having relative axial movement so as to distribute the material evenly on the wall of the basket. v

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel means for removing the solid material from the internal .wall of the basket, such means including one or more nozzles disposed externally to the basket, and directing one or more .jets of fluid through the perforated wall of the basket for-dislodging` solid material therefrom.

An additional object of they invention Vis the employment of alternately acting valves for co-ntrolling the supply of Huid to be` separated to the basket and the fluid medium for dislodging the solid material from the wall of the basket, these valves being automatically operated in such relation to the vertical movement of the internal liquid supplyL nozzlesand the external fluid jet nozzle or nozzles that the liquid supply will be cutoff while the fluid jets are active in dislodging the separated solid, material, and

the liquid supply nozzles will be active when the fluid jet nozzle or nozzles are idle.

Another purpose of the invention is to so construct the basket that in sugar refinery the saccharine juices will be separated in such a manner as to permit the usual filtering bags to be dispensed with. y

With such objects in view, and"others which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of'construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularityin the following description and claims i appended hereto. In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment ofthe invention and wherein similar characters of reference i indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the` separator; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2--2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is adetail sectional view of the basket construction; Fig. 4 is a side view of the machine; and Fig. 5 is a sectional View of the automatic valve for supplying the liquid to be separated.

Referring lto v the drawing, A designates the separator, which comprises a well or casing l formed at itsl bottomwith an annular collecting channel or gutter 2, and thebottom 3 ofthe casing is funnel-shaped and has a central duct l by whichthe solid material is conducted away fromv the machine.

At one side of the casing the gutter 2 has a discharge opening 5 connected with a pipe 6 through which the'liquid separated by the machine is carried away. Attached to the top of the casing 1 is a spider 7 which has a central hub 8, and by means of this spider the basket a is supported.

The basket a is preferably made of' two shells 9 and 10 of perforated metal or equivalent reticulatedy material, and clamped between these two shells is a suitable fabric 11 which serves as a filtering medium. The cylindrical wall of the basket is fastened to a spider 12 which has a central tubular shaft or spindle 13 whichis rotatable in the hub 8 of the stationary spider 7. The basket is open at its bottom and the cylindrical wall of the basket isv directly over the `annular ridge or curb 12v between the channel 2 and funnel 3. On the upper' end of the shaft 13 is fastened a pulley or equivalent element 14 which is driven byv a belt 15 or any suitable means. The pullev'14 restsl on the top of the h'ubfbear'ing 8 so as to rotatably support the weight of the basket a. The material to be separated is suppliedthrough a pipe 16 whichpasses downwardly through the shaft 13 of the basket, and the lower endof the pipe is provided with oppositely disposed horizontal nozzles 17 having their outlet extremities terminating close to the wall of the basket so as to deliver the ina terial thereon.` This liquid supplying device is not only rotatable but movable axially of the basket. For this purpose the pipe 16 is slidable in the shaft 13 and it is provided .with a pulley or equivalent device 18 driven by a belt or equivalent means 19. This pulley 18 may be supported by a suitable bearing 20, and on the pipe 1G is a feather or equivalent means 21 whereby the pulley will rotate the pipe 1G while the latter is moving` vertically. The pipe 1G moves to such an extent that the material to be separated will be discharged against the in ternal surfaceof the basket throughout the vertical height of the latter. The liquid supplying device in the basket a, moves intermittently and during the idle period of the device the How of liquid will be.cut'off, and during thisl period the solid material m on the internal surface of the basket will be dislodged by a jet of Huid directed from a nozzle 22 disposed externally of the'basket. a. A plurality of these n ozzles 22 may be employed as shown in Fig. 1, or a smgle nozzle may answer the purpose, as shown in Fig. 4. These nozzles are each carried by the lower end of a. pipe 23 slidable vertically in a guide 24 on the casing, the nozzles being adapted to move the full height of the basket so as to blow ofl'l the solid material that adheres to the internal surface of the basket, due to the centrifugal separating action. The supply of fluid to the nozzles 22 is intermittent and it is cut off when the material m is entirely removed and the liquid supplying means in the basket again begins to operate.

Any suitable means may be employed to vertically reciprocate the pipes 16 and 23, but as shown in Fig. 4, these pipes are actuated by levers 25 and 2G which are operatively connected at 27 and 28 with the pipes. The levers are intern'iittently oscillated by crank wheels 29 and 30 connected respectively by links 31 and 32 with the levers and 26. A mutilated gear 33 alternately meshes with gears 34 and connected with the crank wheels 29 and 30, so

that, while the lever 25 swings up and down, the lever 2G will be idle, and when the latter lever swings up and down the lever 25 will be idle. The mutilated gear 33 is operatively connected in any suitable manner with a driving mechanism D which includes a shaft 36 on which are pulleys 37 and 33 that drive the belts 15 and 19. respectively. The upper ends of the pipes 1G and 23 reciprocate in the lower ends of stationary pipes 1G and 23, there being valves 39 and 40 in the pipes 16 and 2t' respectively. The valve 39, which is adapted to be opened by a spring 41, has an arm 42 which is adapted to be engaged by a collar 43 on a. rod 44 that is connected with the lever 25, so that as the lever 25 swings upwardly, the valve arm 42 is raised against the tension of the spring 41 so as to close. the valve, this closing movement taking place when the nozzles have reached thetop of the basket. As the lever 25 swings downwardly the collar or stop 43 permits the arm 42 to swing downwardly by the spring 41 opening the valve. The Valve 40 is adapted to be opened by a spring as in valve 39, and it is provided with an arm 45 which is adapted to be engaged by a stop or collar 46 on a rod 47 which is connected with the pipe 23, where.- by the valve 40 will be kept closed while the pipe 23 is in its lowermost position, but as soon as this pipe moves upwardly the valve 40 opens so as to permit Huid under pressure to the separator for the purpose of dislodging the solid material from the basket.

By mounting the. basket to rotate on a vertical shaft and by having the `cleaning nozzles 22 at such points with respect to the aXis of the basket that the p'ressnre due to the jets is balanced, the basket will freely rotate without lateral pressure, which will tend to bind the shaft in its bearings.

From the foregoing description taken in connectionl with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have. described the principle,of operation, together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable basket, a device disposed within the basket for supplying to the wall of the basket the material to be separated, and means for relatively axially moving the basket and the device for distributing the material over the internal surface of the basket.

2. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable basket, a device extending into the basket from the top for supplying thereto material to be separated, means for rotating said device, and means for relatively axially moving the device and basket for distributing over the-internal surface of the latter the materiall to be separated.

3. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable basket, means for suspending and rotating the basket from the top, a pipe eX- tending into the basket and movable axially with respect to the latter, a nozzle on the lower end of the pipe and disposed in the basket for supplying thereto material to be separated, and means for rotating the nozzle.

4. A centrifugal separator comprising a basket, a surrounding well, a support. on the top of the Well from which the basket is rotatably suspended, a pipe extending into the top of the basket and slidable axially thereof, and means on the lower end of the pipe for discharging against the internal surface of the wall of the basket the material to be separated.

5. A centrifugal separator comprising a basket rotatable on a vertical axis for separating liquid from solid material, and a plurality of means disposedoutside the basket for discharging fluid through the Wall of the basket to dislodge material from the internal surface thereof, said means being so spaced with respect to each other that the lateral pressures produced on the basket by the said fluid are balanced.

6. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable basket, and devices outside the basket for discharging fluid through the Wall thereof for dislodging the solid material from the internal surface of the basket, said devices being so located that the pressures exerted thereby on the basket are balanced.

7. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable basket, a device outside the basket for discharging fluid through the Wall thereof for dislodging the solid material from the internal surface of the basket, and means for relatively moving the device and basket for permitting the device to operate on the entire surface on which solid matter collects, said device being located normally at the bottom of the basket and operative on its upward movement to produce an undermining action on the material.

8. A centrifugal separator comprising a basket for separating liquid from solid matter, means for discharging the material to be separated against the inner surface of the peripheral Wall of the basket, and nozzles mounted at the outside of the basket and movable parallel With the axis thereof for discharging jets of fluid through the Wall of the basket to dislodge the material therefrom, said nozzles being so disposed that the lateral pressures on the basket due to the fluid striking the same Will be balanced.

9. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable basket, and fluid jet discharging nozzles disposed outside of and movable parallel With the axis of the basket for dislodging solid material from the internal surface of the latter, the nozzles being so located that the pressures on the basket produced by the nozzles balance each other.

10. A centrifugal separator comprising a casing or wall, a basket rotatably mounted ivall of thebasket, a pipe extending into the casing and disposed outside the basket, an inwardly directing nozzle on the lower end of the last mentioned 4pipe for discharging a jet of fluid through the wall of the basket, means for vertically reciprocating the pipes alternately, and automatically operated valves in thc pipes.

l1. A centrifugal separator comprising a rotatable basket, separate devices arranged respectively inside and outside the basket and alternately operative for supplying liquid into the basket and dislodging solid matter from the internal surface 'of the wall of the basket.

12. In'a continuously yoperating centrifugal separator, the combination ofa rotatable basket, means for intermittently and automatically supplying to the basket the material to be separated, and intermittently andautomatically operated means outside the basket and active during the idley period of the material. supply means for dislodging the separated vmaterial from the innerrsurface of the basket. f

13. A continuously operating centrifugal separator comprising a basket, a conduit for intermittently supplying?,` to and distributing in the basket the material to be separated, a valve intermittently opened and closed automatically for controlling the conduit, a conduit disposed outside the basket for discharging fiuid through the Wall thereof to dislodge the separated material. and an intermittently and automatically operated valve in the last mentioned conduit, one

valve being opened while the other is closed,

and vice versa.

14. A continuously operating centrifugal separator-.comprising a basket, a conduit for intermittently supplying to and distributing y in the basket the material to be separated, a valve intermittently opened and closed automatically for controlling the conduit, a conduit disposed outside the basket for dis-` charging fluid through'the wall thereof to dislodge the separated material, an intermittently and automatically operated valve in the last mentioned conduit, one valve being opened whilev the other is closed, and vice versa, and means for relatively moving the basket and said conduits, the conduits being moved While the valves thereof are opened.

15.'In a centrifugal sci )arator1 the combination of a continuously rotatable basket,y a device movable axially `of the basket for supplying and distributing the material` to be separated, meansadapted to be operative to move the device once back and forth in the basket and then idle to hold the device stationary, a device located outside of the In testimony whereof I have signed my 10 nume to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MARK R. SPELMAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE L. WILLIAMS, y REBECCA `WILLIAMS. 

